Cobalt Aquatics Ceramic Rings are extremely porous, providing tremendous surface area for nitrifying bacteria. Ceramic Rings are designed to maximize water flow and oxygenation and provide an amazing total surface area of 21,800 cubic feet! Ideal for larger aquarium filtration systems.

Q. What is Biological media?A. Biological media is any inert material that houses the beneficial bacteria colonies that break down ammonia to a less toxic form. Biological media is normally placed in your filtration system where water is forced through, bringing nutrients and oxygen required by the bacteria to complete the nitrogen cycle.

Q. Does biological filter media need replacement?A. No. Removing or replacing the media can severely deplete the bacterial population. The discoloration or film found on the media indicates healthy growth of the bacteria. However, if the media becomes clogged, you can use aquarium water to gently dislodge some of the material to improve water flow.

Q. What conditions do beneficial bacteria need for proper growth?A. Beneficial bacteria thrive in conditions where they receive ammonia or nitrite as a food source, temperatures above 55°F, and oxygen. Fish waste and decaying food and plants supply the ammonia and water moving over them supplies the oxygen. Once beneficial bacteria are established in your biological media, they are difficult to destroy, except by over-cleaning, using chlorinated water, or using certain medications, such as antibiotics.

Q. What kind of maintenance do biological filter media need?A. Check your filter regularly to ensure particles are not clogging the biological filter media and decreasing efficiency. Biological media should not be replaced unless it has become too clogged to function, and many times can be simply rinsed with aquarium water to unclog. In most cases, it is recommended the filtration system include mechanical media to filter particulate from the water before it reaches the bio media. This will slow the build-up and help prevent clogging.

Mechanical filtration can greatly improve the health of most aquariums, and is also important for the efficiency of your biological filtration. The process is simple: mechanical media strains solid debris.

Biological filtration is the action of bacteria breaking down dangerous ammonia, converting it to nitrite, and then converting nitrite to less toxic nitrate. This article discusses how the process works.